Flashes and Floaters

What are flashes and floaters?

You may sometimes see small specks, lines, or clouds moving in your field of vision. When these are inside of your eye, they are called floaters. These can develop when the vitreous (a gel-like substance that fills the middle of the eye between the lens and the retina) degenerates or detaches. Floaters are usually due to tiny clumps of cells or connective tissue moving within your eye.

When the retina is irritated or disturbed, you may see what look like flashes or streaks of light. This can happen occasionally as people age.

If the retina develops a tear or a detachment, you may see a shower of floaters and flashes.

Ask The Doctor: Flashers, Floaters or Tears

Causes and Symptoms

Diagnosis

Floaters and flashes are typically diagnosed by the patient. Our retina specialists can confirm the diagnosis and specific cause through a dilated eye exam.

Call your ophthalmologist right away if you notice a significant increase in floaters or flashes. The board-certified physicians at Retina Consultants of Houston are specially trained to determine the specific cause of your floaters and flashes, and if treatment is needed.

Treatment and Prognosis

Many times, a posterior vitreous detachment will occur without complication, and no treatment is necessary. Floaters frequently go away on their own over time.

If you experience a significant increase in flashes or floaters or changes in your vision, you should be evaluated by a retina specialist as soon as possible to determine the cause and if treatment is needed. A torn or detached retina may require immediate treatment. Our physicians at Retina Consultants of Houston are specially trained and experienced in treating flashes and floaters to restore your vision.

Retina Consultants of Houston is the largest retina-only ophthalmology practice in Texas with 2 certified research centers and is one of the most respected in the United States. Our practice is also home to the Greater Houston Retina Research Center, one of the country’s leading sites for retinal research. All Retina Consultants of Houston physicians are board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and specialize exclusively in diseases and surgery of the retina, vitreous, and macula. In addition, we have an ocular oncology division, which focuses on cancer treatments for the eye. Our surgeons have studied at some of the most notorious institutions in the nation and all have graduated at the very top of their classes.